Three Tips for Coping with Climate Anxiety
For Mental Health awareness month, UVA Corporate Sustainability intern Emma Harrison shares tips and resources for how we can use our feelings about climate change to inspire our role in its solutions.
As a soon-to-be graduate from the University of Virginia, I’ve been fielding questions about one thing in particular: what’s next for you? As I work to figure this out, I’ve spent much time reflecting on exactly what I want to do in the world.
I’ve dedicated my undergraduate education to studying sustainability and the environment. This rapidly growing field has introduced me to some of the world’s most pressing issues and cultivated my desire to make a difference. However, the climate crisis’ persistent gloom-and-doom narrative has left me feeling less than optimistic — and I know I’m not alone.
According to data Google provided to Grist, searches for “climate anxiety” soared 565% between October 2020 and October 2021. This finding is echoed by the Yale Program for Climate Communication, which recorded an all-time high of 70% of Americans who reported being very or somewhat concerned about climate change.
These statistics offer a profound glimpse into our collective psyche. As Earth Month comes to a close and we all consider what’s next for climate work, we’d be wise to heed the words of social science researcher Susanne Moser: “burnt-out people aren’t equipped to serve a burning planet.” Harnessing our feelings towards a deeper meaning and action will be essential in finding solutions to the climate crisis.
I wanted to share some tips that I’ve found helpful in navigating my eco-emotions. Listed below are three steps to help navigate our feelings about climate change and guide us as we discover our role in what’s next for climate solutions.
Use Your Feelings to Find Your “Why”
Climate anxiety is how the climate crisis affects how we think and feel. Though these feelings aren’t going away anytime soon, there are ways to recognize them, sit with them, and use them. What emotions does the climate crisis stir up in you? What do you feel is at stake? Addressing these emotions can be overwhelming, but channeling them to make climate change personal is necessary to find your why: your driving force for change. Our feelings can keep us frozen, or they can be fuel for action.
Resources:
The anthology All We Can Save contains a chorus of women leading on climate who provide a number of empathetic perspectives. (P.S. much of this blog post was inspired by this book- it is definitely worth the read!)
The Work that Reconnects helps people cultivate inner resilience, healing, and connection in collectively dark times that demand empowered action.
Use Action To Move Through Anxiety
Now that you’ve looked inward, let your why direct your actions outward. There is a robust toolbox of solutions which can accelerate change in our communities: telling different stories, building collective power, and elevating good leaders. Are there particular solutions that capture your interest? What opportunities for action are already underway? Do some reading and research — see what inspires you. Remember that no one person can do everything. If you’re doing one thing well, that’s enough.
Resources:
The podcast How to Save a Planet spotlights people taking action in many spheres.
C3’s Make Your Own Impact Campaign provides a series of actions to help individuals learn, voice and take action to create a more sustainable and just place to live, work, and play.
Cultivate a Climate Squad
A helpful reminder when coping with feelings about the climate is to know that you are not alone. Too often, we sit in silence with our difficult emotions. Learn about how angst over the climate crisis might be affecting others. Are there people you want to link arms with? Reach out to friends, family or neighbors. ou may find that these feelings are more common than you realize.
Resources:
Climate Cafes are places you can hop onto virtually and talk openly about your climate feelings. This platform can help us build solidarity and facilitate creative solutions to tackle these climate feelings together.
Eco-Anxious Stories serves as a welcoming online realm aimed at people who feel alone in their climate fears.
As you continue on your journey of taking action whether professionally, personally, or both, I encourage you to integrate (embrace or value) these and other self care along the way.